Following the continuous warnings issued by the Department of Meteorology for Naval and fishing communities on the inclement weather conditions, the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources stated that it is closely monitoring the situation and identifying the damages caused to fishermen's houses to take due action.
With the prevailing adverse weather conditions, the Meteorological Department issued a 'red’ warning for strong winds and rough seas for Naval and fishing communities to avoid activities in the deep sea areas in the South-Eastern Arabian Sea and in the Bay of Bengal. Accordingly, the Naval and fishing communities are advised not to venture into the sea areas marked in ‘red’ colour in the relevant map until further notice. It was reported that a number of houses in certain Districts, like Puttalam, have been damaged due to the heavy showers and winds.
In this context, speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (27), the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Director General Susantha Kahawatta, stated that while the department has not officially received any information regarding the damages caused to properties, they are, however, closely monitoring the situation to identify if any has happened. Kahawatta also noted that the department has advised its regional authorities to report on the situation to the department to take due action.
When contacted, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry Secretary Nayana Somaratne told The Daily Morning, that if any damage has been caused to the fishing community due to the prevailing weather conditions, the Ministry will seek the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers to provide further support and allocate the necessary funds. She stated that currently, the Ministry does not have authority to allocate funds for such an immediate situation and a Cabinet paper must be tabled if the Ministry wants to help the community to recover its damages. However, she further noted that the Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda, has been notified about the current situation, and that accordingly, he has instructed her to take further actions to help the community.